Trench spade



y 12 a 1927' R. c. BOTSFORD THENCH SPADE Filed Aug. 10. 1926 Patented July 12, 1927;

UNITED STA TES' PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. BOTSFORD, OF EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

Application fired August 10, 1926.

TRENCH SPADE.

This invention relates to implements for digging purposes a nd more especially to the forms of such implements generally known as spades or shovels.

r. invention relates to a ging ditches in peat or templates the provision o spade More particularly the for use in dig- L bog lands, and conf such a device especially adapted for operation by manual power, and particu one man.

Peat,

more or less of a fibrous co grass,

larly designed for use by bog or salt meadow lands. being roots, ete.,

nstituency, due to are especially difficult to dlg into and a special form of spade or shovel has been f vice, also be by one land above referred to, is developed, after the same, while spade full of no other excavation, be as nearly as possible One of the objects of provide an improved spade or shovel for use ound necessary. while being strong and rigid should Such a delight in weight and readily operable man. Due to the constituency of the inserting attempting and this thi s in excavating in landsof the nature.

Another 0 vide a.

th at, will nomical to manufacture, strong and rigid 1n Still provide a spade spade for the above be especially structure another object of this wherein means is provided to imum amount 0' ss gv To these and other ends consists in the nov tions thereof to claimed.

In the Fig. 1 is a front view ing the features of this i be hereinafte ofa aterial from considerable suction the spade into to elevate the suction should eliminated.

invention is to above described bject of this invention is to proor similar use,

efiicient in use, ecolight in weight, and

invention is to for-the above or similar use,

relative a maxt the suction developed while this invention el features and combines r described and accompanying drawings:

spade embodynvention Fig. 2 is a rear view of the blade portion and adjacent cooperating Fig.

Fig. 4 a side view of serted into a section of lines being shown move a quantity of t-ion Fig. and

3 is a bottom end land 5 is a section on line parts thereof; view of the same; the same, shown 1nand by dotted tilted into a position to re-.

land from the excava- 55 of Fig. 1,

the ditch or serted into the Serial N0. 128,457.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. p The device selected to illustrate the features of my invention is a spade or shovel adapted for the digging of trenches of a desired width in bog, peat or land of similar constituency. This spade has a blade 10, preferably formed from sheet metal, and is provided with a lower edge 11, suitably formed for cutting into'the land. Flanges 12 are provided which extend forwardly from the outer surface of the blade at the side edges thereof, and at substantially right angles thereto. The flange 12is suitably formed to provide a side cutting member 13 of the necessary height to sever a desired quantity of land at the sides of the blade and to form a' straight sided ditch or other excavation.

Abovethe side cutting member 13the flange to the blade by means of bolts 18 and 19. each being dis I The handles are spaced apart, posed at one side of the blade between the portion 15 and the blade 10 within the channel shaped portion and against the inside surface of the side and 19 pass throughthe portion 15, the handle 16 or 17 and the blade 10. The lower bolts 19, in this instance, also extend through a bar which is disposedtransvelrsely across therear surface of the blade and secures the same thereto.

portion 14. The bolts 18 The bar 20 is positioned above the bottom edge 11 of the bladell), the desired distance, to limit the amount the blade 10 is inland, abutting the upper surface of the same when the blade is inserted therein. Side extensions 21 provided on the bar permit the user to force the blade into the land by foot pressure. Openings 22. are provided in the blade 10 below and spaced from the openings for the bolts 19 so that the bar 20 may be lowered relatively to the edge 11 and secured to the bladeby other ter and extending bolts, to vary the depth of the excavation.

A fulcrum member is provided and comprises the bent rod 23, which is secured to the blade 10 by the same securing means that retains the bar 20 thereon. The member 23 extends rearwardly' and is provided with a rearwardly disposed portion 24 which forms a fulcrum means whereby the blade 10 is swung forwardly away from theland as well as lifted therefrom when the spade is operated to remove a portion of land from an excavation. It may be desirable to provide a block of wood or an extension from the bar 20 to fill up the space between the bar 20 and the portion 24 of the rod 23 as indicated at 28 in Fig. 3, to prevent the portion 24 sinking into the land when the same is soft.

The blade 10 isprovided with a vent opening 25, which is in' the form of an elongated slot extending longitudinally of the blade substantially'inthe center thereof. The mater ialat the side edges of the opening 25 is raised from the surface of the blade (in this instance, the rear surface) 10 to form ribs 26, which act as reinforcing ribs for the blade 10 to strengthen it longitudinally. The opening 25 extends upwardly from a point adjacent the edge ll to a point above the bar 20 so as; to insure that the upper end of the opening 27- will always beabove the upper surface of the land.

In operation the spade is thrust into the land by the user who may then press, with his foot}, uponthe side extensions 21 until the bar 20 rests upon the upper surface of the land. A portion ofland isthus severed from the remainder by the edge 11 and the side cutting member 13; The ribs while also entering the land tend to loosen the same about the opening 25, thus allowing air to enter the land from above through the upper end 27 and downwardlyto the rear of the blade 10 and closely adjacent the lower edge 11 thereof. By tilting the blade forwardly by pulling the handles 16 and 17 rearwardly, using the member 23- as a fulcrum when it rests upon the land at the portion 24;, the released portion of the land may be readily removed from the'excavation.

While I have shown and described a preferred einbodimentof my invention, it is to be understood that the same is not to be limited thereto in all of its details, as modifications and variations thereof are possible which will lie within the spirit of the in vention and the scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is 1. In a spade of the type described, handle means, a blade secured thereto and operable thereby. means secured to said blade to limit the effective length thereof, said blade having a slot substantially in the cenlongitudinally thereof from a point adjacent one end to a point I bar secured to said beyond said limiting means, the material of saidblade along the edges of the slot being flared outwardly to provide blade reinforcing ribs.

. 2. A blade for a spade, comprising a sheet metal structure having a body portion with a flange extending longitudinally along each side thereof, means extending transversely across and disposed intermediate the ends of said body portion to limit the amount said blade maybe inserted into the ground, said blade having a slot formed in the body thereof and above said limiting means to provide an opening at the rear of said bladeto permit the entrance of air into the ground in back of the; same, the material of said body portion being the edges of the slot toprovide reinforcing ribs.

3-. A spade of thetype described, comprising a bladehavi'ng an operating handle secured thereto, said blade having a bar extending transversely across and intermediate the ends of the sameand a rear-wardl-y ex tending fulcrum member-secured tosaid bar.

4. In a: spade of the type described;- the combination of a. blade having a slot extending longitudinally the greater part of the length thereof, bar secured to said blade intermediate the ends of the slot therein and an operating handle therefor.

5. In a, spade of the type described, the combination ofa blade having a slot extending longitudinally the greater part of the length thereof, a transversely extending: blade intermediate the ends of the slot therein, a rearwardly extending fulcrum member secured tos'aid bar and a handle extending"upwardly from-said blade.

6. In a spade of the type described, the combination of a-b'ladehaving a slot extending longitudinally the greater part of the length thereof, a" transversely extending bar secured to said blade intermediate the ends of the slot therein, said bar having end portions thereon extending beyond the sides ofsaidblades'. I

7-. A blade for a-spade,-comprising a bod portion having a flange along each site thereof, means extending transversely across and disposed intermediate the ends of said blade to limit the effective length thereof, said blade having a slot formed in the body portion thereof, and extending longitudinally therein above and below said means;

In a spade of the type described, a blade having a body portion, a handle 'se cured to saidbody portion, said body portion being provided with a longitudinally ext-ending series of equally spaced apart perforations, said handle being provided with a longitudinally extending series of equally extending longitudinally therenr a transversely extending flared rearwardlf along perforations,

spaced apart perforations, there being more perforations in one part than in the other, securing means adapted to passthrough said the spacing of said perforations in said blade and said handle being substantially equal, whereby said handle is securable to said blade in a variety of positions by the use of different combinations of the perforations in these parts.

9. Inv a spade of the type described, a blade having a body portion, a? handle secured thereto, a transversely ext-ending cross bar secured to said body portion intermediate the ends of said blade, said body portion being provided with a. longitudinally extending series of equally spaced apart perforations, securing means adapted to pass through certain of said perforations and through corresponding perforations 1n said cross bar to secure the two parts togetherwith the cross bar spaced from the lower end of said blade a predetermined amount, said means being removable and adapted to pass through the perforations in said bar and others of said perforations in said blade to secure said cross bar to saidblade in other positions, said blade will be varied.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto, set my hand this 6th day of August, 1926, at New Haven, State of Connecticut. ROBERT C. BOTSFORD.

whereby the effective length of 

